Erase From My World
by ima hopeless romantic
Summary: When Rinoa was young her mother was brutally murdered. Out to get the killer she encounters Squall on a mission to capture her. Emotions are mixed, sins to be forgotten and someone dies. Rated PG13 for slight violence and adult language. Updated
1. Default Chapter

A/N: I hope this one is an improvement from my other stories. Herez some things you might want to know. This story is mainly based on Rinoa Heartilly. She's out of character but that's only because I've changed her history. Her mother was murdered when she was young. She immediately grew cold, hateful and got a reputation for being murderously violent as she got older. The anger is toward her father and anyone that prevents her objective. When the words are in _Italic_ then it's what Rinoa is thinking at the moment.

Chapter 1 - Confidential Information. Keeping it in the dark.

Rinoa has a sudden flashback. "Mommy!" said the young image of innocent Rinoa.

She screamed loudly giving it her all to hit the punching bag in front of her. Dangling her arms down, she stared off with her head down. She slowly coughed and tears slid down her face and on to the floor. Sand spilling from her punch bag, it sparkled on the ground as the tear soaked in. _I must not waste my energy crying._ Rinoa struggled to take a deep breath. _No more tears._ She closed her eyes hard and as she stood with her arms still dangling she saw images of her mother.

"YEE-YAAA!!!" She yelled and kicked another punching bag. It had detached and flew to a window that was now broken.

-

"SeeD... it's been a while since your last mission. I would have sent you on one I've had my eye on but... I feared for you. You all know General Caraway and the unfortunate death of his wife. It caused his only daughter to go mad and could possibly be the one killing people lately. Her anger is toward him for reasons I don't know. He needs protection until she is captured. You'll hunt her down, capture in anyway necessary and contact me when done so. She'll be sent to Esthar in a chamber to hold her and things will be thought out. Understood?"

"Headmaster Cid... tell me why you feared"

"Squall, if I told you I would be breaking one of General Caraway's confidential information. Now then you'll be off to Deling City. Search will start there. Splitting up is up to you but I suggest not you do that. The deadline is simply A.S.A.P. You all are dismissed." Cid informed and each SeeD walked out the door.

"I don't like this. The confidentiality sounds like it could put us at risk of something dangerous"

"We were trained for anything, forget it Quistis. Let's move out" Squall told her.

"Hold it right there, buddy! We should ask the Headmaster to tell us it!! We can keep a secret!" The energetic girl hollered as she placed her finger to the side of her nose. (Author: You know what that means right? You know how Santy Claus did it to sign to a kid to keep him a secret, yeah well that's that )

"Uhh Selph... you can't keep a secret" Irvine admitted.

"Oh what?! Yes I can!" Selphie waved her arms up and down. "I kept that secret of you taking Zell's hotdog the other day, didn't I?!" She told him and thought she told him well.

"WHAT?! YOU'RE the hotdog napper!?! I'll hurt you!" Zell yelled and tried to hit Irvine but Quistis easily held him back.

"Whoops... sorry!" Selphie yelped and ran to the elevator.

"I don't have time for this..." Squall said and followed Selphie into the elevator. The doors closed and the elevator released to the first floor. "Don't trigger Zell up like that... and behave were off on a mission"

"Sorry commander..." Selphie apologized with a giggle in her voice. "What happened to what I said?"

"….Working on it." The elevator door opened and he walked forward alone.

-

Taps on the brick road in the back ally, echoed through the city. The sound became more repetitive. A flashback came to her once again. Her head felt like it was on fire. So much anger was to be released.

Her flashback: "Get out of my fucking house!" The man yells.

"Screw all your shit! I'm leaving!! When I get back you are going to hell Caraway!" The teen yells back.

"What do you have planned? You can't touch me for shit, you're too weak. Face it your human!"

"Asshole!!" and the door slam shut.

Rinoa suddenly had fallen forward to the ground. Her eyes flickered being completely black. She forced herself on her feet and shook her head. Her pain went away. _Ughh…_

Out of her cape pocket she takes a cigarette_. The day will come. I will be satisfied. Then I can finally get to what everyone wants....._ She laughs to herself. _It'd be amazing if anyone could do it besides me...._ Blindly staring at her cigarette between her fingers, she sighs and releases it.

A/N: I could have done better with the first chapter but I'm really focusing to make the middle of the story good. Please review each of my chapters. Reviews can be very inspiring. It'll make me write a better chapter, lol.


	2. The Sorrow

A/N: Please review my chapters

Chapter 2 – The sorrow. Your strength is your weakness as well.

_I have to get away and start to search. There is information in Esthar I know it._ Rinoa finally had her chance to travel there. Transportation there from Deling City was finally available. A train was built and she was on it that night. It was late and hardly anyone was on it.

-

"Hey you think Squall will change if he gets himself a chick?" Irvine said curiously with his arms behind his head relaxing in his seat.

"Dunno. Did I change you?" Selphie asked with a smile on her face.

"Don't change the subject. I want to help hook this guy up."

"He doesn't need help so stick with your own problems like the one your going to have now" Quistis said overhearing their conversation.

Irvine scanned Selphie who wasn't in her delightful mood as she stood before him. Her arms were crossed and she was tapping her small foot. "You didn't answer my question" she said.

With a door sliding open to their private first class section on the train Squall entered. "I checked the cars on this train... I didn't see her."

"We've been on this train all day. You really think she's going to be on this train?" Irvine asked.

"She will be on this train. It's perfect. Is Zell out searching?"

"Yeah and completely bored about it" Irvine reported.

"Alright, I'm going to take a rest. When the train finally stops I want you three to be on it."

"Where are you going?" Quistis asked.

"..." He said nothing and walked out of the room.

Squall walked to the last car on the train. He looked around to see only some hooded person sitting in the center seats. It was Rinoa with her black hood up and cape closed. Squall walked to her and slowed his pace when he heard small crying sniffs from her. He stood in front of Rinoa not knowing it was her.

_What is this?_ She slightly looked up to him but not enough to which the train lights would shine fully on her face. _What... what does this man want?_

Squall looked to her face that revealed only half of its beauty. He thought of what Selphie had told him one day. She had told him "Squall, you can't stay the way you are! The people that care about you can't take you being cold. We're trying to be your friends and if you don't want to be alone you have put that guard down. You'll feel so much better and have an easier life if you just make some friends. You also need to remember to help some one not because you were ordered to but because you want to!"

"Hi..." Squall said when he sat across her face to face. He kept looking at her. She still had tears in her eyes.

"...Hello" She replied back, staring at the side. She sniffed and wiped a few tears with the side of her hand. With her guard down she lifted her face up to him and smiled to assure she was okay. The light removed her shadow and her hair bounced down to the side of her face. He stared into her beautiful smiling face only to make him smile. "How... how are you? You're upset?" Squall asked with a stutter at first. He didn't want to stare at her face but was a bit drawn to it. The tears shined her eyes and her beautiful dark yet confident look on her face glistened.

"I'm actually fine. I just needed to cry a little." She told him shaking her head and smiling more. _Just a little time to cry. _Squall's smile removed slowly away.

"Cry... okay" He said and sat back pulling his face away looking up toward the light. He went into his deep thoughts and sat silently.

She stared at him to understand what just happened. _Caraway scolded my crying. I remember it made me cry more._ Rinoa stared into his emotionless face. _He said okay..._ Rinoa's eyes sparkled once more and her vision got blurry from her tears. _Mom would hold me. I want... I want my weakness... I want the warmth of arms... the warmth of care. Something as silly as that._ Her heavy head couldn't take it anymore so she released her despair only for it to dry up and come back again one day.


	3. Resistance

A/N: Uhh… to solve mass confusion, somewhere in this story I mention a penetrating grapnel. For those of you who don't know what that is it's that thing batman uses to 'fly' to the top of a building or swing from skyscrapers. It like hooks on and your little ropey thing just reels you up to where it got hooked. Okay, hope that made sense, lol.

Chapter 3 – Resistance… the struggle of it all.

"Squall... Squall" someone called.

Squall and Rinoa were brooding in their own mysterious worlds. Rinoa stared her time away into Squall as he kept looking toward the light above him. "Squall!"

"What?" He said sitting up and looking toward Zell.

Rinoa came back to reality when Squall moved from his seat and she immediately noticed it was time to put her guard back up. She pulled her hood forward and looked away.

"Yo, the train should stop any moment now. We'd better move" Zell reported. Rinoa walked over to an exit in her hurry to leave.

"**We've arrived to Esthar Air station. We have arrived to Esthar Air station. Please remember your belongings and have a nice day"** The train announced.

The doors opened and Rinoa quickly made her move away. Squall looked toward her, watching her cape blow behind her.

"Who was that person you were sitting across from?" Zell asked as people entered the train.

"...! ...Shit, that was Rinoa Heartilly!" He said to himself in a shock. "Call the others. We've found her! I'm gonna catch up." Squall told him and ran out the train doors.

It was windy; his hair was blowing in front of his face. He looked toward the exit of the station and saw her fading away in the distance. The others caught up with Squall. He couldn't believe he let her get away when she was right in front of his face.

"Squall! What are you waiting for?!" Quistis scolded at him just standing there. She ran ahead and everyone followed.

--

_What a fool I am! I must position myself away from people. _Rinoa hurried down the dark streets of Esthar. She knew she was now being followed.

"Over there! She's gonna turn on that corner!" Selphie yelled as she was fast ahead of everyone. Irvine stood in position and with his night vision on; he targeted Rinoa with his shotgun. He smiled with confidence.

"See yah…" He shot the bullet.

"Ah…" Rinoa let out a short moan and held her suddenly bloody waist as she ran. Going to the closest high tower, she ran around back. Selphie's feet slid on the ground forward when she turned corner. She was on her tail.

Rinoa looked toward the roof and released her penetrating grapnel. She scaled up the structure and jumped on the roof when it released. Landing on her feet she got on her knees and she crawled over to the ledge, looking down the ground. _Ugh…_

Selphie having just reached the back of the tower was ready to cast Stop. "Oh no…" She said turning around and searching for the wanted girl. She continued talking "Where are you?! …You can't hide! …Show yourself!"

The others caught up with exhaustion. "Where is she?" asked Zell.

"I don't know she disappeared here. Where's commander?"

"He said he's going to take another route. He gave me a communicator; to contact him if something is up" Zell told her.

Rinoa moved to the center of the roof and clutched her stomach. _I need a plan…I need a plan to Caraway._

"Yo, Squall." Zell said speaking into the communicator.

"**Report status" **Squall spoke back.

"She disappeared behind a hotel. It's a dead end"

"**Alright, whatever… Search the perimeter. I think I'm on something. I'll get back to you later, over and out." **He turned off his communicator.

Squall placed his hand in his pockets. He stood from a walkway bridge, looking out to the distance… the moon shines on a roof top where Rinoa's weak body lays.

--

A/N: Umm… yeah this is the best I can come up with for this chapter. Wanna hear about her outfit? If ya do, read on. She wears a black trench coat that has a hood. Note that she hardly pulls off her hood. Her sleeves, as they go from shoulder to wrist it gets larger. She has tons of useful pockets for her easy carry weapons, medications, and stuff. That coat reaches to the floor. Under that coat she has her black casual fit tank top. No belly shown here! Going down she wears, coincidently, two belts just like Squally-poo! Her bottom is a black Capri. Her little feet are covered by a black pair of timberlands. It's all good. Oh, double piercing on both ears down at bottom. Well that's how I portray her if you were interested. I'm gonna go draw her now, hehe.


	4. Words to Trust

A/N: This chapter is boring. Yet I like it to be told with the story sorry.

Chapter 4 – Words. Trust. Always curious.

_That face…that mesmerizing face. _…Rinoa thought back to when she was on the train. She envisioned his face close to hers, touching it. Gliding her finger amongst the curves of his face and saw his scar. _His scar…I've seen it somewhere before…_Rinoa shifted towards the ledge of the tower and surveyed the area. At a stretch of a road, she saw the four that were after her and they were splitting up into twos.

--

Tap, tap, tap, sounded his boots in the quite region. Squall approached the tall blue tower near the entrance. He gazed to the top of the tower and checked out his surroundings. "This is the place." He entered the tower with no trouble. The doorman was asleep at this late a time. He pushed open the doors to the staircase and found himself having to climb to many floors to count.

--

**CRASH!! **The sound of metal objects hitting each other rung through the city and Irvine turned around.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouchies!" She squealed. The innocent girl had crashed into a bunch of garbage cans. She rubbed her head and pouted. "Who moved this here?!"

"You're going to scare our enemies away again, Selphie" Irvine said and laughed as he approached her. Selphie pouted more and rubbed her head again. He grabbed her waist and lifted her light body out of the garbage. He then smiled.

She turned away and spoke softly. "Do you consider us in a relationship?"

"Is this about what happened on the train?"

"Maybe…" She said swing her hips side to side. "It's just you always flirt or think about anything that's female and human. Am I anything to you at all?!" She said twirling around to him.

"You'll always be my girl, my damsel in distress." He told her and walked beside her. "…It's just I'm… scared of commitment." Irvine said next as he put his hat on her head.

"Hehe, I'm sorry I doubted you. Let's go find Quistis and Zell. It's not really safe to split up."

--

"It's not safe to split up… What is that man thinking?"

"Yo, don't worry about it Quis. This is Squall were talkin about."

"I guess your right, Zell… but let's contact him once we meet up with everyone"

"Man Squall is probably hogging all the fights. I didn't become Seed for this shit" Zell said distracted walking around throwing his fists into nothing.

Quistis sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ah, what fun it must be to be younger and ignorant."

--

The door to the roof squealed as it was slowly being opened. The nightly wind blew through the air, spiraling around a tiresome body lying on the floor. Her head laid on her coat and her hand on her wound. Squall thought she was asleep and walked forward.

"Those people chasing me… you're one of them, correct?" Rinoa spoke.

Squall stopped to respond "Yes. We were sent to capture you."

"I won't make it easy."She said._ Not yet._

Squall smiled. "Well, I never said you would."

_He is very valiant. He doesn't seem like an adversary. _Rinoa sat up and glanced at Squall. He could she her shirt tarnished from her wound. _Could he bring me to Caraway? _ _"_Who sent you?" asked Rinoa.

"I am part of an elite team working for Balamb-"

"You're SeeDs. I understand but who are you protecting? This is about the General isn't it?"

"I was ordered to find and capture you… those questions are not for me to answer" Squall told her.

_Is that right...? They must have him._

Squall's communicator buzzed:

"**Commander! Report, where are you?"** Quistis demanded.

"I'm on the job… find an inn, rest up and I'll get back to everyone during sunrise"

"**It's not safe for you to be on your own… We're ready anytime for back up!"** Quistis said determined. You could hear she was having trouble with the communicator but it was just Selphie.

"**Forget it, Quis! ...Oh hey, it's Selph! Don't over work yourself, over and out!"**

Squall put away his communicator and looked at Rinoa. She had a painful glare. She asked "…Could you heal me? …You wouldn't want to hand me in dead."

He was skeptical, but approached her anyway. Squall cured her and watched her frown disappear as the white magic removed her pain. She nodded to him in thanks. He looked at his watch. "It's pretty late… We'll reside here."

Squall sat not to far from Rinoa, laying his weapon beside him. Rinoa lied back down, brought her knees up and stared at the stars. "Squall right? That's what your friend in the train called you."

"Yeah, Squall Leonhart"

" ……" Rinoa grew silent.

Then something you'd never expect happened. He opened himself up to someone.

"My mother is dead. I don't have any memories about her. I found my sister a couple of years ago… She makes an effort to see me often to repair what damage that could have caused me… she has to realize the past is the past… she sees me as an empty heart." Squall glanced at her face. She was asleep. He watched her clutch a ring on the necklace that she wore.


	5. Escape

A/N: When I mention Rinoa going to a ledge she doesn't kill herself, lol. She jumps and makes it safety to the ground. How and Why? Uhhh… here's a clue. She's magical! Thanks lady-rinoa for trying to help. That story you told me about, we have similarities but mine is better, no? lol, don't answer that. My story will focus on Rinoa's relationship and a killer. So the stories are a bit diff.

I've already written half of this story but I'm revising it over and over. Everyone, there are lots of little spoilers everywhere. Tell me if you see something suspicious as the story moves on.

Chapter 5 – Just keep running. Escape.

Orange, pink and blue covered the sky. The shadows of many buildings advanced as the sun rose. Looking out to the distance… watching birds fly freely, and then glancing toward Squall, Rinoa said "My heart is no issue for you. Just continue to heal yours."

Squall had been asleep his body moving very slowly, breathing, dreaming. Rinoa looked at the sky once more and turned around to the ledge of the tower.

The streets seemed to be clear and only sounds from the station were present. She hastily walked to the sides of the tall towers, in the little shadows that were. _Squall, I will return. There is something I need to do._ "Excuse me miss…" A innocent voice came from behind Rinoa. She shifted around, the sun shining on her face. "Do you- …Oh my god…! You're, you're Rinoa Heartilly!!"

Rinoa backed away from her. _Shit! _The woman held her hands to her face and ran down the street in a hurry. _Stupid shit…_Rinoa ran after the woman. Going down a block she had lost her. "Please help!" Rinoa heard from the side. Her eyes were now set on her, she was calling the police. Rinoa reached inside her coat and hurled a knife at her. Just then she ran to the side of the walkway and jumped on to another for her escape.

--

"Get up you four…" Squall knocked his foot on a couch his friends were sleeping on.

Selphie popped her head up from the armrest. "Squally, you're back!" She said and shoved Irvine off of her.

"Huh… heh…. Wha?" Irvine muttered as he opened his eyes.

Quistis slowly opened her eyes and stood up from the other end of the couch. "I'm glad you found us here. I thought you would have come here to see your father." She said.

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz" Zell snored loudly with his head leaned back toward the ceiling.

Irvine shoved his shoulder and said "Hotdogs!"

"Yo! What were?!" Zell said wide awake looking around.

"Sorry we don't serve hotdogs for breakfast."

Everyone looked towards the door. It was Laguna serving up a big smile.

"Say Squall how did you get into the place without me knowing?" He asked.

"Ellone..." Squall responded coldly to him. He looked at the others. "Rinoa is on the move. Let's go." Squall ordered as he walked out of the presidential palace.

"Thanks for letting us stay Laguna, you're the coolest!" Selphie yelled and waved goodbye. Everyone else said their goodbyes and hurried out after Squall.

Squall walked silently ahead of everyone. Of course Quistis ran up ahead to speak to him. "Where have you been? You found Rinoa, right?" Quistis asked him as they got outside.

"……I asked around. A man said he saw a woman with a black trench with her hood up running by here."

"Yo! Check it out it's the General" Zell hollered.

They all walked up to him curious. "General Caraway, could you explain what are you doing here? As I recall, Headmaster Cid told me you would be with him in protection." Quistis questioned.

He stood tall and smiled. "Ah yes, that's true but don't be alarmed. I'm heading back to him now."

"Sir, I'll have you escorted back." Quistis said.

He stared at Squall suspiciously and responded. "No, no, no. It is fine. You must return to your duty. Now go." Everyone did just what he said.

--

Hurrying down a walkway a man walked up to her and grabbed her shoulder. It was some soldier in uniform. "Don't you touch me!" Rinoa ordered loudly.

"Hey, take that hood off and let's see sum id to clear something out for me." He said.

"Who are you to think you can just harass me?! Go fuck yourself!" Rinoa told him and pulled herself away.

The soldier was to approach her again but a different man yelled at him. "Hey! Leave da lady alone!" The soldier faced him and punched him to the floor. Just when he turned around Rinoa knocked him in the face. Only to be angered, the soldier pulled out a gun and pointed it toward the man on the floor.

"Who the hell gave you a gun?" Rinoa said and used Thundaga. The soldier fell unconscious.

Her hood fell off. She slipped a cigarette in her mouth and ran her hair back out of her eyes. _Ugh... why me?_ The man that had tried to save her just stared… _What's his problem?_ Rinoa walked to him and gave him a hand to get to his feet.

"I am in ya debt! Lemeh help ya out, is der anything I can do for yah?" The man asked.

"…Is there a junk shop around here?"

"Yahz in luck! I own one, just over der!" The man said then pointed to the store.

"I want a gun… a silent one. Can I count on you?"

"Foreva!"

"Just there's a catch. I'm going to have to erase your memory of me when I get my weapon."

"Hahaha, you've got a sense of huma, come ba mah shop tonight." The man responded and laughed as he walked away. Rinoa shook her head. She took her cigarette out of her mouth and frowned. _How'd that get there?_

--

A/N: Thanks for reading. Remember to review please!


	6. Anxiety

A/N: The man that tried to help Rinoa is a real dumbutt. I hope you understand why, lol. Please review.

Chapter 6 – Preparing for you. Anxiety

He walked tall but his body felt weak. He scrutinized everything yet his eyes were tired. His hands were clenched tight but they were still cold. Will the almighty Squall give in? … "Squall!! I'm tired!" Selphie yelled.

"No" He replied as cold as he was.

"I know you want to!"

"…"

"Is that a yes?"

"No"

"Squall, you must be frozen. Would you like something warm?" said a sweet voice not far behind them. The SeeDs turned around and looked upon a smiling face. "Hello everyone"

"Ellone" Squall said.

"It's awfully late and chilly. Please join me in for something warm, won't you?"

"You received a call"

"Mhmm, yes. So you're coming with me anyway" Ellone responded and started to walk.

Quistis went alongside Ellone and as well as Selphie. "If you don't mind me asking what just happened?"

"Oh I received a call from your headmaster. Squall can't say no to me nor Headmaster Cid. So lucky, you guys are done for the day."

Everyone arrived back to the Presidential Palace and sat around in the living room. The fireplace was on, warming everyone's cold bodies. "There are enough guestrooms for everyone but don't get too comfortable yet because I will be calling you back down here. You headmaster is going to call to talk to you all." Ellone reported.

Selphie yelled in joy and ran out of the room to see where she is going to sleep. Along followed Irvine then Zell yawning and rubbing his stomach. "Please excuse me" said Quistis and left the room also.

Ellone grabbed a seat near Squall who was hunched over staring at the floor. Her maid came in the room placing two hot teas on the table. Ellone reached for one and smelled the aroma of her tea. "They're quite nice. You should try." She spoke and sipped her own. She continued to speak. "Father is upset about how short you stayed before… but it is no matter. …You seem confused… kind of silent then usual. Did you meet a woman?"

Silence came from Squall. He just moved his head in a different direction from her. "So it's true" Ellone spoke for him.

"It's not what you think. I can't date her. …She seems quiet and tired about everything."

"But of course, that's not what she is truly like. Appearances can be deceiving, much like yours. …So she's the one your after, huh?" He didn't respond till Ellone reacted. "So that's true too."

"Maybe if I help her… I can see who she really is"

"Don't be so hasty. You might not want to know what she can do."

"I won't care… I want to just see her."

The phone started to ring and she walked a little out of the room calling "Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, Zell! You have a call!" She then walked to the phone and picked it up. "Hello… Let me put you on speakerphone…"

Everyone arrived to the room and sat around. Quistis sat next to the phone. "This is Quistis reporting. Please inform us of what you wanted, everyone is here."

"**Thank you Quistis, would you please turn to channel 7" said Headmaster Cid.**

Squall reached for the remote and turned it on to the channel. "We have done so" reported Quistis.

"**Please just watch. There will be news for you to know. I am terribly busy here so we will discuss any of it when you return to the Garden."**

"It is understood. Farewell, Headmaster"

"**Goodbye. Have a nice rest tonight."**

--

The door opened with a single bell going off as she entered the Junk Shop. The man at the front desk looked towards her. "Hey, yo!" He cheered.

"Have you prepared my weapon?" Rinoa asked with her hood shadowing her face to not reveal her identity.

"Yeah and it's a pure beauty I tell yah! No one will be able to hear this baby but yah can feel the force no doubt about it!" The man hollers and turns on his TV that was on the counter.

"**Hello, this is channel 7 news at night. I'm Tina Gong reporting to you updated news on the daughter of General Caraway. Here we have information of her escape from her nearly lifeless victim…"**

"Now when will this woman stop? I tell yah der should be mo people like you savin lives instead of tryin to kill people like General Caraway's daughta." He comments.

"**The victim was running to the phone to call the police saying that she noticed her and unfortunately at that moment she was stabbed in the shoulder. She did remain conscious to finish her report. General Caraway found her about a half hour after her call to the police. He confirmed Rinoa came back and finished her job of killing her. It was very ill-fated he watched his own daughter do this. The victim was reported dead today at 7:25 pm. Here are your photos of Rinoa once again. Has the age of 18 and height about 5'4. Please contact the police at…"**

_What incredible nuisances. They search to punish me and yet they will do nothing for my father._

"She sure has issues that daughta. A real bitchy spoiled gal I bet. Oh yea, that'll be two thousand gil" The store clerk asks.

"You think we should save lives… and yet you sell weapons of death." Rinoa said to him as she took her weapon to examine it.

"Weapons are meant to be used to save someone's life, to defend, even though you might end up killing something"

"I'll do just that." Rinoa says hastily and stabs his shoulder with a vaccination then punching him to the floor. "In the end I'll do just that" She dropped her gil on the counter and departed out of the store.

She put her chemical needle away, fastened her bag of gil to her belt and pulled the tip of her hood forward further to cover her face. Walking down the road you hear her boots tap, echoing and she takes one final gaze at the city. _You're all such fools. Reality is so pleasant to you because you set an illusion. Ignorance is a true blessing that I will never understand._

_I yearn for your death and yet I patiently wait for that day you're erased from my world._


	7. Detestation

A/N: I don't know if you noticed it yet but do you see a difference in the attitude to when she thinks and when she speaks? Well you'll definitely see it in the next few chapters and if you keep on reading you'll find out why. haha, you'll never figure out why. I think it's the hardest thing for you guys to figure out before I start spoiling things. The answer is pretty much told in the story indirectly so you just need to do some questioning.

Chapter 7 – What will you do? Detestation.

He stood at a window leaning on to the wall. Gazing out the window it started to snow on the city of towers. His warm breaths of air fogged the window and saw a joyful Rinoa in the reflections, one that smiled and teased. "Squall, you're going to leave?"

Squall turned to her. "I'm sorry Ellone I know you wanted us to keep you company." He said.

"You've made me happy enough. I guess the sooner you find her the better."

"Best chances are now"

"If Quistis sees how involved you are with this mission. You know what'll happen."

"Yeah"

"Since Zell is already eating my food, would you care to join before you go?"

"No, actually we should leave now. I'll go drag Zell out of your kitchen." Squall said and walked away.

Ellone followed and watched Squall pull him away. "I just made that sandwich and now I can't eat it?! My poor sandwich is upset." Zell complained. The other three friends were already waiting in front of the home chatting time away. Everyone walked out of the palace and Ellone said her goodbyes before her father would come home and notice that they were there.

-

"Anything?" Quistis asked.

"Not yet." Squall answered.

"Yo, this seems pointless. Can you tell me why were back on this train? It's been forever." Zell asked.

"There's no where else for her to go."

"So how much longer till it's safe to say we maybe missed her?"

"Hold it in for a few more hours then we'll head to Balamb Garden and report to the Headmaster then you can have your hotdogs."

"Alright!!" Zell yelled and punched his fist in the air.

Quistis approached Squall and said "Squall, you've been working every minute. Take a rest I'll start searching."

"You've been a SeeD longer than me. You rest." Squall told her and slid the door open and walked out.

Quistis watched him walk away. She took a deep breathe and exhaled. "You're so tense. Squall can see it, you know." Zell said. **UWAAA** went his stomach loudly. "Hehe" Zell giggled.

--

Squall walked to the end of the train and stared at the seat Rinoa sat in last time. Then as he looked around, he noticed on the end of the train a door. Through its window, Rinoa was standing right outside. He made his way there and slid that door open. She was bent over with her elbows on the railing and head in her palms. She was watching the view, smiling. The wind blew her hood off and her hair just blew with it. "Nice isn't it?" She spoke knowing he was there.

He let the door behind him slide closed and he set his back against the door. He didn't respond. She had this wise look on her face all of the sudden. "The deep blue sky is big, dark and mysterious but it has its stars which will guide anyone lost within it. As for the moon…" Rinoa thought for a moment, biting her lip "…it just looks like cookie dough." She giggled.

Squall smiled but not for long. He gave a serious face and held out his hand. He wanted to ask a question. "You want to know about the woman on the news…" Rinoa said.

"Yeah…" He answered pulling his hand away.

"I did try to prevent her from calling the police… but I didn't kill her."

"I knew… I figured. You'd never try to kill anyone."

"One day… I will. When I start the job I will finish it and to remove all my sins... I will take myself away." Rinoa said. She stood up and held her necklace. "I feel something when I'm with you. This serenity… I want it when I go… when I'm no more."

"…No. No more. Come with me Rinoa. If you really kill someone you won't be let to live… I want… I want you to live." He told her.

"Killing is for the damned." Rinoa said and lifted herself on the railing and jumped off the train. Squall tried to stop her… he reached for her. She stood in mid air as the train was riding away. Her face showed a sad, tired smile.

Squall leaned on the railing reaching out to her. "Damn, I want to help you!" He yelled.

"Don't patronize me" He heard her voice uttered near him. The train kept moving away. The air became foggy and gray. Squall tried to look through the mist but when he was finally able to she disappeared.

--

Everyone back where Quistis was had followed her to the end of the train. They watched Squall yell out to Rinoa through the door window. Quistis raised her head high with a look of disappointment on her face. "We can't trust Squall anymore. I'm having him removed from this assignment. This is to be kept to your selves. Understand?"

"Yes…" The others said with their head down.

"Ugh!" Quistis groaned as she walked away. Anger in each step, her face grew with hate.

Moments later, Squall came back in the train. He saw Zell, Selphie and Irvine waiting. They picked their head up and looked on to him. Walking away, his face was emotionless as he said "We're getting off this train once we get to Balamb."

When Squall was gone, Selphie turned to Irvine and tugged on this coat. She had this sad confused look on her face and asked "What's happening?"


	8. Completion

A/N: Yay, I'm telling you one of the spoilers in this chapter if you weren't able to figure it out with all those hits I put out and I'm giving Rinoa freaky psychic powers. Just a reminder, Juila is Rinoa's mom. I hope this chapter entertains you a little.

Chapter 8 – Squall, I'm done waiting. Completion.

Reaching the Garden, Irvine, Selphie and Zell went to the Cafeteria. Quistis is reporting and giving comments on the mission to the Headmaster who was in the infirmary with Dr. Kadowaki. She exacted Squall to stay behind in the main hall. (Where the save point would be.) Squall was sitting on the bench. Staring at the floor like usual but then noise arouse in the Garden and Squall lifted his head up. Students scrammed in the halls only far enough to still have visual.

_I am feared for the fact I will bring one to their end._ Squall stared at the woman walking down the hall. It was Rinoa, walking in the middle of the hall as if no one was there..._ How am I supposed to act to that?_ She did hasty pace to the elevator. _It's unseen._ She punched the keyhole which unlocked the elevator_. I must bear in mind I've devoted this life to me now. Doing as **I** please. Vengeance is my purpose._ Squall finally got up and ran to her. She was here to kill General Caraway._ Who is this…? _

"Wait!" Squall grabbed hold of Rinoa's arm. A faithful piece of breath entered in Rinoa.

"…Let go of me…" Rinoa said to Squall. _Does he wish for me to get vengeance on him too?_

"Leave the man alone. I don't know what he did but he doesn't deserve to die."

"He… **KILLED** my mother. I will not let him free!" Rinoa said determined, pulling her arm away and entered the elevator. _He's pissing me off. However it is time to do what I came here for. This shall not be brought to a standstill_.

The door had shut and Squall had banged on the glass screen. Watching the elevator quickly go up to the third level, Squall pulled out his gunblade and broke the glass. He put his weapon away and ascended up the ladder.

The elevator rung and the door opened to the Headmaster's office. Rinoa walked in. Her eyes flickered black. Rinoa was being possessed by her hate. _The old man is hiding from me… It's typical in my form. _General Caraway couldn't help his hectic breathing. _I hear you_ Rinoa advanced a few steps and pushed Headmasters desk upward into the air and it fell back on to the floor breaking as rubbish. _He's not under the table. The silly man knows where not to hide, unlike Juila. _"Silence" Rinoa said as she cast it on Caraway. "You can't hide from magic, Father. You can't hide from me, either."

Squall opened the vent on the bottom of the elevator and pulled himself up into it. Turning around when he got in the elevator he saw Rinoa flip a chair into the window shattering it. "Rinoa!"

_He doesn't stop. _Rinoa turned her head to see Squall. "Leave me; I have to finish this" Rinoa spoke and then with a different feel of heart "You shouldn't hide old man, you're terrible at it" Rinoa condemned. Looking up, she raised her hands to cast him to his death.

"No!" Squall roared and tackled Rinoa to the floor, banging her head into the floor. "I'm sorry" He said closing his eyes.

"No Squall"Rinoa blew Squall off of her with a psychic energy. She placed her hands on the floor and lifted her body into the air. She looked at Caraway who was standing before her on the bridge. "I shall avenge mother and kill you before you can touch who she loves."

"You should be grateful. Your anger has made you stronger but it's not enough to bring out the thing that sleeps within you. You'll always be human." The General told her.

Rinoa hurled gravity onto him thrashing him back. She placed herself on the ground and grabbed General Caraway by the throat. "Feel my pain" She bitched as she was trying to compress his throat together. Caraway gasped quietly. "Feel my pain!" Rinoa scolded once more, yet there were no tears from him at all.

Commotion was in the office. Squall had gotten to the bridge and pulled Rinoa away by the waist. Rinoa reached out to Caraway as she psychically strangled him. **"I hate you!!" **Rinoa screamed.

Quistis got to the bridge with Zell, Selphie and Irvine. Squall clutched Rinoa who jolted side to side when she saw Quistis come towards her with a needle. Zell cuffed Rinoa's hands and Irvine cuffed her feet. While Quistis injected a tranquilizer, Selphie fled with General Caraway. Before Rinoa had given up all hope and closed her eyes, she looked at Squall muttering "I'll save you…Laguna".

Squall was stunned. He stared at her face while she closed her eyes. Even as the sea of teenagers rioted it was all but mere silence to him now. Engaged in confusion, Quistis looked at Squall and motioned him out of the office. Zell and Irvine restrained all the students as they hurried out. Headmaster Cid commanded all students to their dormitory but rebels continued to follow Rinoa in anger. "They're acting like they've never seen a fight before" Zell said to Irvine as they tried to stop those following.

Selphie held on to Caraway directing him to a haven… the Teachers Lounge. SeeD official Xu followed after with Dr. Kadowaki locking the door behind them. "My, my General Caraway you're very strong willed." Dr. Kadowaki said to him as she began to examine his status.

"Sir, General Caraway what were you doing alone in Headmaster Cid's office? You were to stay in the designated room with several SeeD members." Xu implored.

"Did you really expect me, a General, to dissipate away my time away sitting in a room? I hadn't the idea that I would be confined in such a trivial room. I asked if I may go for a breath of fresh air and found myself searching for a chat with your Headmaster. Little did I know I wasn't to be in his office which was at liberty… I meant no mischief." Caraway insured.

"Amazing… you have rehabilitated your self. Even so you shall be in my care. Once Rinoa is taken away I shall give you a full examination." Dr. Kadowaki said.

"What can we do to my daughter?" The General questioned Xu.

Selphie was taken back at what he'd said. "Excuse me?!"

"You can take care of her?" Caraway asked.

"Please wait for the Headmaster to return to us and then you may ask your questions." Xu informed.

-

The door busted open in the infirmary with even more turmoil sounding. Squall placed her down as Headmaster Cid sealed the door shut. "I want her strapped down for now." The Headmaster ordered.

Squall's face turned to disgust at the sound of those words. Quistis belted Rinoa's arms to the side of her bed and left her leg's tied together by rope. Rinoa was a mess. Quistis moved her jaw shutting her mouth and brushed off the hair in her face. Squall simply sat besides her. "I will go for Dr. Kadowaki. You two stay here. I'm having Zell and Irvine guarding the door." The Headmaster spoke and left the room.

"Mission complete" Quistis muttered.


	9. The Scar

A/N: Sorry this update took long. I forgot to mention that I'd been busy studying for my finals. To **lady-rinoa** – Ehehe I'm so happy your falling right into my plan, lol. As I mentioned in my other notices, she kinda has a split personality thing going on because of a certain… thing. It's a spoiler. In chapter 14, Rinoa is gonna spill it and everything will make perfect sense. To **Spede** – I find it strange too that Squall opens up to Rinoa. I guess it's because he thinks she's hot or sumthin, lol. Well in the game he can open up to her so I'm doing the same here. Oh and that thing about Rinoa being something like Men in Black… omg it's genius! Lol, I love the sound of that. You asked why Squall didn't chase after her in chapter 7. He didn't chase after her because he knew she was going to Balamb Garden but I made him accidentally forget about that in chapter 8 because he was so deep into his thoughts.

I'm finally moving in a character I haven't mentioned at all in the story. Also finally we have a little Squall and Rinoa alone time. Oh, oh and I'm going to try making it longer.

Chapter 9 – The scars that binds us....The death that is awaited.

Commotion was all through the hallways. The curtains on the window blew forward over her face as the sunlit it up. Squall was sitting beside her. Quistis had left the room then watched from the other side of the glass wall. She remembered the day she found him here with a fresh scar. She had spoken to the Headmaster and needed to report to Squall. Coming in the room reserved, she said "This mission is extended and you are no longer part of it… Squall, you're removed from your position. You are not to give orders…… I'm… You need to leave the room as we prepare to transport her to Esthar. That is all." She wasn't herself.

Squall watched as she walked away and looked to Rinoa. She seemed lifeless. He thought back on to her last words. "I'll save you… Laguna"

"I need to talk to you." He told Rinoa and left the Infirmary.

Squall glared at Quistis to show his acceptance, dutifully. He didn't question her. Squall stuffed his hands in his pocket, staring that the floor and walked through the halls on his way to his dormitory. Selphie, Irvine and Zell were already waiting for him at his door. When he stopped, they all looked onto him.

"Sorry man, sucks that you can't work on the mission." Zell apologized.

"…I actually wanted to help her" Squall spoke slowly and looked at Selphie.

"You still can." Selphie said reassuringly.

"There's a quiet rumor. General Man wanted an execution but Headmaster turned him down." Irvine reported. "…keeping an eye on this… if anything goes wrong, we know you can save her" He added.

Execution? Squall thought. There were too many things on his mind now. He walked around the three, opening his door. Before walking in, he said "She won't get anything she doesn't deserve" and he walked in closing his door.

--

"Where did I put that extra tranquilizer?" Dr. Kadowaki said.

"What that sedative we used on Rinoa?" Quistis questioned.

"Yeah"

"Maybe when we left the room those who took Rinoa took that too." Quistis answered.

"I suppose your right"

--

The next day bright and early... A click and a clank sounded. _So tired…_Gradually, a deep breath was taken in. Eyelids slightly fluttered open. _So bright…_She did not resist and quickly opened her eyes. It was pure white. _Ugh..._ She was placed on a bench. Her back was against the wall and her head dangling to the side, she looked blindly around without moving. Her vision slowly focused and it wasn't as bright. The corner of her eye brought an old friend back to memory. "Seiferrr…" Rinoa wailed with a humor.

"What is my princess doing in here? I thought you'd never stop running" Seifer said as he walked to her.

"I was never running" _Unless you were the case… _Rinoa turned her head toward him and used all her energy to reach for his face with one arm.

Seifer wanted to pull away but he was drawn to her. She ran her fingers delicately over his scar. He trembled. She had noticed it before… _Interesting_… Seifer placed his hand on her cheek stroking it gently. _This scar... _Rinoa thought back to when she first met Squall."Pathetic" She commented. Seifer grabbed her hand that had touched him.

"So you met him… Squall" He said with resentment in his voice.

"He reminds me of you." Rinoa said and laughed to herself. "He's your better half"

-

Changing the subject he told her everything he knew. "Caraway said he was satisfied now that you were captured. He is going back to his own life without any protection. I don't know if it's just me but he seemed upset about how SeeD handled this."

"Hmm, are you helping me?" She asked.

"Caraway wanted me to give you what you wanted. Here." Seifer handed a piece of paper.

Rinoa took the note and opened it._ An address…_ "This is where he is…"

"It all ends there." Seifer turned around and walked out of the confined room. "Hey, it's the new bitch."

"Shut up, jerk-off" He responded. Accessing the restricted room, he stopped in his steps when Rinoa gazed at his face. _Squall…You've come._

"Such profanity… It's always like that, right?" Rinoa spoke and smiled with a giggle.

Squall smiled as well. This was the side he knew was her. He walked towards her and sat besides. "I didn't offer you a seat" Rinoa said.

"I don't care" He replied. "…Are you hurt?" He asked there after.

"No, just a little faint."

"If you're hurt tell me"

"…hmm"

"…What are you staring at?" Squall questioned.

"What, you think you're so special?" She mocked.

"…Whatever"

Rinoa giggled. "What's that on your chain?"

"It's a lion. Griever"

"Oh, I like it a lot" Rinoa said merrily and leaned closely to him looking at it.

Squall was alarmed. His face was a bit flushed. Rinoa lifted her head up. Squall was coveted and Rinoa's face filled with curiosity. "What are you doing in Esthar?" She asked.

"It's none of your business."

"Meanie!" Rinoa wailed.

She was keen on what he wanted. He came to Esthar solely to see her. She just couldn't grasp the reason why. There was stillness in the secluded room. That obviously Squall didn't mind. Rinoa's outlook became more stern. "You shouldn't be in here"

"No…"

_This peaceful…feeling… _ "Why? Why do you want to help me? Why keep me alive?" Rinoa wired up with an eager voice.

"I just… I just like you" Squall said. Rinoa nodded her head. She was ecstatic and embracing the serenity he blushed hard as she moved her body closer, pressing to his. He gazed down at her and she placed a big kiss… when withdrawing it only had him wanting more. She smiled and giggled.

"I like you too" She said.

_Finally, your time is coming. I'll be the first to know its end._

--

The four of them were sitting on the very same couch as yesterday before the entire catastrophe. The blonde ogled her coffee while she pushed her hair behind her ear. The tension needing to be broken, she spoke "I am sorry about Squall. Please understand his behavior was-"

"Stop, I know. He might seem as some kind of traitor of a sort. I'm upset that he won't be leading anymore but I'm more worried that he has ruined a trust between you all." The other replied. Things were already edgy and uncomfortable without having Zell suddenly become a loud mouth.

"No Way, Ellone! He did nothing wrong! And I'm sure this position removal is only temporary too" He exclaimed as he got up from his seat.

Quistis desolately glared at him about his assumption of Squall's position. Ellone smiled. "I want to apologize for him because I know that whatever he is doing… he felt he had to do. Now, won't you please excuse me Mother Nature calls." She said and walked forth for the bathroom.

"Damn Quistis, I really think it wasn't that big of a deal that you got had to get him into trouble! You could have talked to him." Zell shouted at Quistis.

"She's just trying to enforce the rules." Selphie defended.

"Nah, she's just being a bitch!" Zell replied.

"I did nothing wrong! His judgment on everything would have been clouded!" Quistis yelled at him as he turned back to her.

"You think his judgment is clouded?! Well, look whose talking. You're the one in love. …Don't you trust him?"

-

A/N: Giggles Confused about Rinoa? Now you don't think she was talking about Squall, do you? Hehe, just keep reading the story it'll all explain itself slowly. Remember reviews please. Updates might take awhile. Finals are killing me.


	10. Alone

Chapter 10 – Driven by desires. Follow it and be alone.

"This is great!" She said sarcastically looking around Rinoa's imprisonment. Nobody was in sight, the doors wide open and not a single trail.

"Rinoa's gone and so are the guards." Selphie said looking side to side.

"Damn Cid's gonna be pissed!" Zell hollered.

"We need to contact the garden and split up immediately!" Quistis ordered.

"What's the worst case scenario?" Irvine asked.

"Somebody dies" Zell responds.

"That's not gonna happen. I'll contact the Garden for back up and they'll help you search the city. I'm gonna find the guards." Quistis said taking lead and heading off. "…I'm gonna end up losing my job" Quistis mumbled as she ran to the nearest phone to call the Headmaster.

-

The moon sits on the clouds once again. The somber blue sky glitters with jewels and magic. A gentle hum of one mother's tunes fills the air. _Where does my mother's spirit lay? Does it follow alongside me? ...I've missed you so. _Rinoa's sweet tender thoughts were a rare of sorts. She kept her hands folded to her back as she paced slowly forward. Her thoughts drifted and it came to mind what had happened earlier.

-

"You said you would save him. Laguna… I don't understand" Squall had told her.

"My mother told me stories of her love, Laguna… she'd always have him somewhere in the back of her mind. Caraway grew jealous and it turned into fury."

"…is this why he hates you?"

"…hate…" Rinoa snickered "I have my mother's features... and you… you have Laguna's."

"I'm his son."

-

Her heart was grateful on this notion that she had met Squall. "Did you see, mother? I've found his son who is as how you have spoken of his father…I will protect him till I reach the day I leave for purgatory… eternally."She smelled the air. The aroma was filled with carnations and lilies that she walked past. She walked freely. Squall had let her escape. _Although I am free. My sins are chained to my feet. _Then thinking back,a memory of when she was younger had played in her thoughts.

-

"I saw you fooling around with that man…" The blonde spoke as he approached her.

"Yes…does that make you angry?" She responded teasingly.

"Stop" He said as he held her to close him. "I love you. I'm not your father so stop testing me." Rinoa stared at him being a little dazed. "You're always imposing on people's generosity."

"My mother would have approved of him." She said pushing her limits.

"Stop!" He said harshly and held her tighter to him.

"Seifer, I did it for you. You were filled with anger; jealousy. So I moved him to the hospital"

"You're drunk. What's happen to you…?" Seifer said worried.

In an emotionless voice, cold and slow… she told him. "Damnation"

-

"I gave that man injuries for Seifer… I never treated Seifer fair. I'm so grateful he was strong enough to support me but I never really loved him." Rinoa stood still after stepping on a white daisy in the grass by accident. She bent over and picked it up. Its petals fell off and it blew away with the wind. She watched them soar through the sky and then she saw _...Squall? Is that…_Rinoa rubbed her eyes and looked again. But all she saw in the distance was the shimmering navy sky and jade colored trees that blew in the wind. He wasn't there.

She continued through the wasteland towards where she might have seen him in a mysterious part of the lands enclosed in nothing but green. The first tree she had drawn near had fresh blood on its trunk. _Something is here. I must be getting close._ Rinoa paced faster into the forest. When she finally became tired she sat on a log lying on the ground. She took out the paper with her father's location written on it and scanned it. _Not too much further. _She thenobserved the tree as she sat. _What can be this strong to break down a large tree like this?_

Rinoa's head began to ache and she became very frustrated. She shut her eyes tight and then opened them open again as she shot her face to her left. _I don't need this._ Something large was approaching towards her. She looked to the ground. The dirt trembled. Then she heard loud foot steps pounding with the dirt that bounced. _It must have helped get blood on that tree. _Rinoa got to her feet and hiked up the last tree to an elevated branch. She unsheathed a standard sword from her waist and as the creature traveled by she pounced on the T-Rex which was making all this noise. She struck it into his skull, then his eyes and then his throat. The fiend roared and shook. Rinoa leaped to the ground and backed away as it thrashed into the dirt. It slowly stopped squirming like a weak worm and passed on. Rinoa looked behind her. "Let's see… it came from over there" She said and began on her way.

-

Quistis stood before her Headmaster along with the other SeeD Cadets. Their Headmaster paced up and down. "Did we not have someone on guard duty?"

"Sir Headmaster Cid, Seifer Almasy offered to pay them a meal and he would guard. The two cadets being tired and hungry left it in his hands." Quistis reported.

"Where is that troublesome Seifer?"

"I have already sent SeeDs on the search. It seems he has disappeared."

"And Squall m'boy?"

"Uhh… sir, he's missing also. I was going to order him to that assignment."

"Rinoa, Seifer, and Squall are all gone. This is quite interesting. Let's continue to have SeeDs on the look out for the two boys. I want your squad Quistis to search for Rinoa. I'll alert all students to be on the lookout in the Garden and let's have Xu call General Caraway and track him from the satellite. I'm curious about his whereabouts. All are dismissed."

Her head filled with woes and bit her lip. She placed her hand over her mouth with qualms as she was the last to march out of the room. She looked to her squad that watched her. She uncovered her mouth and held her hand to her chest. "I'm sorry" Quistis pardoned and swiftly walked away.

"Wait!" Selphie cried and followed her. Before Quistis could enter the dorms Selphie caught up. "Now wait one itsy bitsy second."

"I feel responsible for his disappearance-" Quistis started.

"Oh come on! Don't get upset over this. He's not a little kid running away because he's mad at you."

"I shouldn't have told on him. Zell is completely right about everything."

"…you love Squall?"

"Oh well… I'm starting to think I don't anymore."

"You like Squally?"

"Yes."

"Okay then. Friends help friends. So let's go find him and see if he needs help" Selphie concluded and started to walk back.

"I should apologize" Quistis complained.

"You can do that once we find him" Selphie replied grabbing her hand and walking back.

"Thanks."

"Anything for a friend" Selphie said and bounced along.

Quistis smiled as she was being dragged along. She thought to herself about Squall. He really was a lone wolf. She thought about how he'd constantly end up being alone because he just wanted something special. Everyone would always have to catch up with whatever he's thinking or he'll end up being lost and alone. Quistis remembered when they were kids and he wanted his sis. She remembered the training becoming strong at his pace to the top alone. Now she thought determined, he won't be alone.

A/N: I'm ending with Quistis again because where in the world is Squall? ……yeah Seifer too


	11. Bleeding Hate

A/N: Hey, I'm thinking of changing the genre to mystery instead of drama. That's a good idea? What do you guys think?

Chapter 11 – Bleeding hate. Is there empathy for your hate?

"So where are we headed?" Zell spoke looking around.

"Esthar, that's where. Let's pay a visit to Ellone" Quistis answered.

"What good is that?"

"She might give us some clues about Squall" Selphie commented.

"I think we've bothered her enough" Zell added.

It was going to be a long day. She glared at Zell with a vicious look while she walked with Quistis. Then Selphie released a sigh into the heavy sky. Zell understood not saying a thing afterwards. Leaning towards Zell Irvine said "There's enough tension in the air."

-

Rinoa scanned at her piece of paper. _This should be it... Let's get this over with. _A pencil was withdrawn from her pocket. The name that cursed her world was erased. She threw off her hooded cape which had hidden her image. Beating on the sweatshop door, people inside was making a commotion.

"We have a problem, sir" She overheard.

_We all think we have the worst of all problems..._ She kicked the door down as the men in the room got on their feet. …_but what if one day it was true. To live in a hell's hole, trapped..._ Theyran to the back door trying to unlock it, hands shaking in fear _…no where to go._ Too nervous to even hold a key, a man drops it on the floor. _A constant torture that makes you beg, cry, bleed to get out. _ As she walks to the other side of the long room she pulls out her guns from under her trench coat_. Never getting the message that it is the worst of times is when you have no choice._ A man unlocks the door only to find himself on the floor. She had pulled the trigger, again and again. _No privilege, freedom, or salvation... _Pictures of her mother run through her head as two more men fell. The last one still running of fear… "My snapshots of her life before it had to end…"_ …_yelling for his mother.

"What could she have thought before her strand of life was cut!" She said. Shooting the last man she was then was forced back by the power... the manhad fell on the floor with a silent thud. Steaming hot tears ran down her face with her head throbbing as she said"Could she have thought of me?" _Ughh…_

Quickly those emotions were rid of with the tears all gone. She pulled open the door in front of her and she was hauled in by some man, forcefully shoving her up front to another man. She looked around; the room was filled with about 10 men. Their guns were pointing at her. The man before her said "Back down Ms.Rinoa Heartilly, you are surrounded. On your knees and hands up." She looked around with no sight of General Caraway. This was to only anger her.

"Where is Caraway!" She demanded pulling out her gun.

"I said on your knees! Drop your weapon!" Then the man that had forced her in the room kicked the back of her knees. She crashed to the hard cement floor, having her knees and hands busted as she struggled not to have her head slammed on the floor. "Keep your hands on the floor, miss." Then the man noted to some men beside him and they went to grab her.

_I didn't come here for this._ The men cuffed her hands and mercilessly yanked her arms to the back of her head. It snapped her shoulders. _Ugh…The more I wait it makes me think…_ A man grabbed her waist and threw her over his shoulder. Her pocket knives and some unfastened weapons fell to the ground. _It makes me think of how much I really do hate you._ Another tied her legs together. The rope was tightened more and more causing tearing cuts on her legs. It scratched, gashed and scarred. _I hate you._ These were only adding more to her assortment. She cried her silent screams. They knew it hurt. **_I HATE YOU. _**

-

The sight of her surely meant nothing good as a breeze of concern rushed by. She pushed back her short hair behind her ears and approached the others outside the palace. She smiled and spoke "To be honest, I'm tired of seeing you."

"Ellone, your brother is gone. Where could he be?" Quistis questioned.

Ellone sighed at this. She looked upon her closing her eyes, hands together and meditated a visit. Quistis slipped into a temporary mental state where as Zell caught her fall. A loud memorable eerie shriek echoed while Ellone's vision on Squall had come to mind.

"She won't get anything she doesn't deserve" Squall said.

Closing the door he then lied on his bed. "Save Laguna… why?" He spoke and sensed something strange. Placing his hand on his forehead he said "What is this?" He tried to sort his many thoughts and then thought aloud. "A vagrant woman… cheated of a happy life because of men called fathers." He slowly rose up hunching over like this sadden little child. "Is it easy for you to hate your father? Do you want to cry as well as murder? …I can save you. …I will save you. …I'm taking him out" He finished.

Squall turned to his side and faced the wall while clasping his pillow. He slowly shut his eyes in empathy with a tremor of awe running through his body. Thereafter Quistis's conscious came back to reality.

"This is as much as I can help. I don't have much to tell you. Stating the obvious, he's near Rinoa… out of the city, presumably south of Esthar in search of what Rinoa wants."

"We should find them with Caraway." Quistis spoke as she stabilized on her feet.

"So we're looking for Rinoa **and** Squall?" Zell asked.

"They'll be together so it doesn't really seem like were looking for an extra person" Selphie replied cheerfully.

There was a moment of hush while Quistis thought back on what Squall had said. Ellone had been preoccupied with thoughts and Quistis quickly took the chance to speak to the others in a soft voice. "We should have cadets patrolling the President's Palace. Laguna's not going to be safe."

"Hey, he's a gun man. No worries." Irvine commented with a smile.

Quistis turned to Ellone and said "Thank You. Please forgive me, I never meant to trouble anyone."

"Duty is all." Ellone responded although still preoccupied with her thoughts.

-

She trembled and twittered. The world surrounding her was dark and gloomy. She was fatigued. They have injected some sort of drug. _I can't take this. Why am I letting them do this to me?_ Her head was up high and she stared at the light out the window as the truck shuttered her around. _I... I... _She hoped they were bringing to her father, the man she hated and the one who would end her insane crude attitude to this world.

The truck came to a stop. Grabbing Rinoa along, the men entered a tall soaring building. Her body bounced as the man was going quickly up a set of stairs. _Ugh… where are they taking me?_ They reached a fairly big room and Rinoa was dropped down from the man who carried her over his shoulder. She clenched her teeth together from her drop to the metal cold floor. Somebody ripped off the rope that tied her legs together.

"Get on your feet" The man commanded. Rinoa stared at him not hearing what he said.

"Get on your fucking feet!" The man yelled and kicked her with his hard leather boots. Now hearing what he said Rinoa struggled to bring herself to her feet. She managed but after a few seconds she just fell back on the floor. "She's still greatly drugged…" The man reported to his comrades and walked out of the cold steel built room.

Lifting her head up, she peered away from the door slowly. She blinked trying to focus while she brought her vision to the other side of the room. _ Squall. _He came."No… no." She closed her eyes tightly. "**No!" **She screamed whiletears of blood ran down her face. She was completely appalled.

**_I HATE YOU!_**

-

The silence was daunting and her chest felt writhedwith a sort of pain. Such a concern had drawn her to her uncle's room for comfort. With a decorous manner she stood by his door prepared to knock when it had suddenly opened. Laguna greeted "Hey there stranger."

She paced back out of way. "Ellone, I hardly saw you today. Always moving around, you hiding something?"

"…Squall"

"What?"

"He's going through a lot. His friends have been looking for him but he's gone."

Laguna looked at the lone child. Her image just standing before him in the dark was flowing with despair. Her were arms clasped together and staring down at the floor. He drew near and held her to him. "It'll be okay… Nothing can bring him down. He's strong just like his papa."

Laguna released her leaving his hand on her shoulder. Ellone lifted her head and looked at him in curiosity. "Were you going somewhere?" Laguna laughed.

"Yeah, I almost forgot. I was suddenly called to a meeting. Do me a favor and stay inside the palace."

"Yes, okay. Should I make some dinner while you're gone?"

"Great! I'll be starving by the time I get back. Now, I should get going."

"Be careful."

Laguna hurried ahead and looked back in reassurance with a smile.

-

She held the cell phone to her ear anxiously waiting for voice. "Xu here"

"Hey, did any thing come up yet at the Garden?"

"Sorry Quistis, no one has had any luck. I couldn't reach the General. It seems that he's occupied but I'm still trying to contact him. How about you?"

"Eh, it's going slow as well. …Did anyone find Seifer?"

"Not even Fuujin or Rajin know but they said 'His past is catching up to him'. What's that suppose to mean?"

"I don't know anything about his past."

"Bet it ties with Squall."

"They're always fighting."

"Children at heart."


	12. Expired Angels

A/N: I want someone to figure out what's wrong with Rinoa before I mention it in chap.14. I've turned this into a mystery. I adding things that you have to think to figure out. Hope I'm not making it too hard? Or easy? Eh, everything will work out soon enough if u don't get it. Oh, Rinoa does blizzaga in this chapter like Sorceress Edea in the game, hehe. Don't worry Rinoa fans, she'll change soon enough but before that I gotta have a little fun with it.

Chapter 12 – Angels expired before the date.

Rinoa struggled to her feet using her hands to lift her up. Her boots squealed as she forced her body to move toward him. After a few steps she then fell forward to her knees as they slid. When at stop she was draw to his body. She brought herself very close to Squall on the floor who had a gash to his stomach. His shirt was torn as if large claws had slashed him. There was blood on his chest. He was bleeding from his fists and his head bleed too. With her eyes blazing of horror she shut them and cried.Quickly rage and fury filled her heart and mind overcoming any sadness. The color of her eyes now blackened completely. The hair on her skin rose. She broke her hands apart which were tied together and with clenched fists she banged both her hands to the floor.

The door to the imprisonment that she and Squall were in swung open. Rinoa swung around, her right hand onward releasing blizzaga which she cast in seconds. _CARAWAY_ she thought viciously. The large icicles that formed in front of her hands, sent his way broke into thousands of pieces, shimmering powder before it could touch him. Seifer walked in the room as it snowed with a monotonous face. He had cast magic protection on General Caraway.

Rinoa effortlessly got to her feet, hovering over the ground. Wings of white nor black but gray appeared and opened behind her, feathers flying everywhere. She brought her hands together and lifted them up above her as she spoke another spell. Rinoa brought her hands fiercely down for her cast quake. The floor started to shatter and ruptured up pieces of the floor on to them. Seifer had his gunblade blocking it as Caraway had a sturdy defensive shell. Her magic wasn't working so she flew spiraling through the air towards her father reaching to grab him by the neck. However Seifer walked in front of him just as she flew. Then instead of holding her father's neck she was holding Seifer's neck. …And she didn't care.

She smiled with sadistic joy. Her heavy tears ran from the corner of her eyes down to her cheeks. She compressed her hands closer together. _Die. Die. DIE!_

His sharp weapon was raised to her neck yet not wounding her. She had convulsions of laughter. Was Seifer hesitating? "Shut her up Seifer" Ordered Caraway.

He merely blinked reaching into his pocket then thrusting the same sedative shot from Balamb Garden into her arm. Rinoa's joy, her smile, her black eyes, her grip have all gradually faded away. Her wings disappeared and she fell slowly to the floor onto Seifer's feet. She turned to her normal self and stared blankly at the two men before her. "You see, Squall. Is this what you wanted to save?" Caraway spoke.

Rinoa's face twitched at the sound of Squall. Squall was holding his body sitting on the floor. He was tired and weak but still spoke "Rinoa."

"Yes, this is the Rinoa you've been helping. One who laughs at pain and feels no sadness. This angel deserves to die." Caraway said.

"Shut up… this… isn't her! …You… made this!" Squall managed to yell.

"No, she brought this out herself even before she knew I had killed her mother."

"You fiend."

"Ugh… I loved her mother more than the world and she seemed to just refuse me! I didn't get loved in return and I hated it so. I waited years even having Rinoa but it was never the same feeling as she felt towards him… I'll kill you all."

"…"

"This bitch reminds me so much of her mother and for her love in a man. I can't stand any of you, imbeciles. I'm going to get rid of all three of you." He said and walked out the room.

"And you…" Squall directed at Seifer.

"I'm not explaining my life story to you." Seifer replied and gently pushed Rinoa off of his feet. Her eyes shut when he did so. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, locking it.

Squall went to Rinoa and lifted her into his arms and walked back to the end of the room. He placed her down and put her head in his lap. Taking off his jacket he then placed it her head on it. He wiped all the tears off her face. "What the… hell is this… Rinoa?" He asked and whispered "Helping you of all people… like mercy to the suicidal."

The affairs of his heart, like blood to a body. Squall grabbed her cold hands and held it to him. "I will save you" He said in a firm tone. Yet how does one attempt this? Should he conceal her from harm in an everlasting sanctuary? Does he murder that which troubles her heart? His head begins to ache and his grasp begins to tighten. Pain pulses through her. Rinoa's hand had tweaked alarming him back to reality. He let go and looked at his own hands. His blood swathed her hand and stained her clothes. He glanced to Rinoa's face. She struggled to say "So …glum." Watching her lips, he smiled and paused. After a thought, he leaned over and kissed her.

* * *

His car arrived to the destination. He was not one who had others do work for him. He drove himself to this sudden gathering which was implied as simply urgent in an email. Nothing more than an address was included, he hadn't had any concern. He unfastened his seat belt and opened the door of his black vehicle. As he took his steps out, he observed his surroundings. It was a deserted corner of the big Esthar with streets lit by electric blue light. Across from where he parked was a condominium. The lobby walls were made of glass and through you could see the back of a suited man smoking a cigar by an empty desk.

As suspicious as it seemed he was not worried. He was Laguna. Loved by all, no? With a smile on his face as always he approached the residence. His fairly large coat because it was after all a cold night, blew in the wind. The moon glistened.

The dark figure moved aware of the other man. The cigar's burning end became more visible. The intensity of the crimson blaze became bright light. With that radiance it briefly exposed his face. "Julia was quite a woman, won't you say?" He muttered with the cigar still in his mouth.

He stood at the entrance. Shock finally came to his face. "I wouldn't know, General" He responded.

"Pity. Love wasted on you. Turning to that woman Raine and forgetting Juila."

"I never forget."

"Stealing their divine hearts and then leaving them both to die."

"I came back."

His voice angered as he said "Don't… Just die you infantile man." And with that he took two guns on the counter behind him. Gunshots were fired.

* * *

Squall was sitting right beside Rinoa. "SeeD comrades, come in." Squall spoke into the communicator he still had. The men that captured Squall weren't smart enough to check his pockets. "I repeat comrades, come in…… I receive no answer from you. I know you can hear this. I'm assuming this is General Caraway's prison. Attempt to assassinate along with Rinoa Heartilly. You should be able to track this signal. Seifer is in the area. Over and out" Squall finished.

"How's the sedative taking effect?"

"My body feels weak." The conscious Rinoa replied. _Pathetic._

"…we'll get out."

"This is my fault." She told him.

"No, I chose to come here myself."

"What are you doing here?" She said facing him.

"I came to deal with your father"

"Don't call him that." _That's right, he's no father. Isn't that right Rinoa?_

"I let you free so you could find some refuge. Not to come here."

"I didn't have much of a choice." Rinoa said turning away.

"Don't say that… You always have a choice."

The words poked at her like a stick. _What a joke..._ In a sort of agonizing denial she said something different. "Did they do this to you?"

"…No, I came across a T-Rex along the way. When I got knocked out and they found me."

"Oh…" Rinoa replied. _He came to help. Foolish._ Her eyes sadden bringing her face down. She moved closer to Squall gazing at the wounds. She reached to stroke his injuries.

"Stop… it's not that bad." He assured.

"Don't lie." Her voice melancholic…

"…"

The silence was awful filled with truth, the hurt written on his face. "Ah how the mighty have fallen!" came from behind.

"…" silence once more.

"Seifer, help us, help me" Rinoa pleaded against her thoughts.

"Get up you two. I have to decide who's in the better condition to die first." Seifer announced.

"Why are you doing this? At least, give me this much." Rinoa beseeched.

"It's my turn. Isn't it time I get my satisfaction?"

"You know you don't want to do this."

He approached Rinoa on the floor. Her eyes were intent on finding his soul that which cries bewilderment. He hated being indecisive, he need not help from anyone else. He leaned down snatching her hands with an aggravated face. Lifting her up, Seifer seized her before her fragile and weary body fell. Unexpectedly his arms embraced her into a warm hold. To think he wanted to harm her. No, he wanted to hold her forever. Her head rested upon this shoulder. Seifer glanced towards Squall recovering on the floor. Squall peeked at the two. "Let her go. You're not getting away with anything"

With a sort of nervous laugh he spoke. "Heh, I know they're coming. I'm getting you two out." He then released Rinoa. She slowly sat down besides Squall. "I'm going to clear the path. Give me a few minutes and they'll be gone." Seifer headed off.

Squall, staring off, felt that Rinoa's hand had found his. It had pleased him, his heavy mind lighter.

_I'm trapped. Yet it doesn't feel too bad. This body of mine proves interesting. Now what is this sentiment? Rinoa enlighten me._

A/N: I hope that last thing struck a cord. Oh, this prison isn't the one in the game. That one blew up just like in the game, lol. This is the fastest I could bring this update - -' school shall consume me.


	13. I'm listening, waning

A/N: Thank you so much for your last comments! Latest update ever, sorry I was vacationing like crazy and this whole summer I've been working on this chapter. Working on theories, ideas, fantasies, watching inspiring movies and anime. I really hope you guys like this chapter and I hope I made it makes sense, haha. I've revised it tons of times.

Hmm… love is a confusing thing. It comes whenever it pleases. I directed a piece of this chapter totally inspired of what I learned from a certain anime. …Gosh this is going to be a depressing chapter… Oh and before that Caraway carries a gun that I'll refer to it as a TMP because in the Resident Evil 4 game it's what it's called, lol. Hey I hope you remembered anything in _Italic_ is Rinoa's thoughts and they're not aloud even in quotations, if you forgot way back read everything again, lmao.

Chapter 13 – With regret, hesitation, I'm listening… I'm waning.

He breathed harder and harder. "Still prepared as a Galbadia soldier, I see" he said firmly holding on to his guns. His back to the wall, the General looked over his shoulder passed the wall to the center of the lobby floor where Laguna stood.

"You're getting tired old man?" Laguna spoke pointing his own gun to where he hid. He slowly took small steps behind him getting closer to the entrance.

"Tired of you" Caraway said as he took his courage and confronted him. Laguna shooting merely a few times suddenly turned to run out the doors behind him. Rounds were fired, one, four, seven, left, right, left, shards of glass falling like hail. His body could not move faster then the bullets, his mind did not think faster then the bullets and his heart could not beat as fast as the bullets.

Laguna had plunged rolling brutally to the side at his black car. He sought to use it as a protective shield but it was too late. The barrage of bullets had already stopped. The onslaught had gotten to him. He groaned and clasped his torso covering his chest wounds. He hauled himself around the tail light edge of the car and caved to a stop. The dire pain increased and reminisces of his past. Leaving for war and barely surviving. How mortal he was. Having to suffer so and to atone for so much he left behind. Julia, Raine, Ellone… Squall… was this to happen again, he thought. He glanced towards the skyline. His lips parted to speak …nothing. Then his stomach snarled of hunger. '…I guess I won't be home for dinner Ellone' he thought.

"That was superb. The tragic hero falls with not a woman by his side to say goodbye." Caraway approached his victim. "You won't live long."

Laguna's face tensed tight and he relaxed his head back to the car. Caraway lifted his TMP and placed a cigar in his mouth, lighting it up. Laguna gazed at the sky, through all the darkness the moon glistened past the clouds as a light of optimism leading to him. "…Why don't you just walk it off, you'll die quicker" Caraway said grimly. The general took one last look at the solider and walked away. Laguna did not watch him. He kept focused on the moon lighting up his face. His lungs burned to speak, to breathe, his heart to love, to live.

* * *

"Father!" She screamed scared leaping out of her chair awoken by a recollection of the past. They were Caraway's plans. Once more her chest felt writhedwith a sort of pain, a concern for her dear uncle. "…father" she said once more to her own surprise.

Ellone had never referred to her dear uncle Laguna as father before. As a child she would imagine her family …Laguna being her dear father. However she was not a child anymore, she does not need a father although quickly she desired it. "I'm so worried Laguna…" She voiced as though he can hear her. On her feet, she walked out of the room, past the dining room with a dinner for two towards the entrance closet and opened the door. She reached for her suited jacket and hesitated. "Caraway is planning on…" Ellone hesitated once again and grabbed her coat. She turned to exit and stopped with her back to the door to muse over about earlier.

"It'll be okay… Nothing can bring him down. He's strong just like his papa." She remembered as well as his reassuring smile.

Her body slid down to the floor and there she sat to think of one more thing. "…Do me a favor and stay inside the palace." He had said.

* * *

"Headmaster, we've located the prison's coordinates."

"We've locked on, sir! He is not at the base."

"Quistis is notified and on line 1 in your office requesting permission to use the Ragnarok."

"Nadia confirm permission. Have Quistis departed towards the General's previous position alongside Team B. Xu give the coordinates to Selphie. Team A and C will infiltrate and evacuate everyone. They will be our captives for questioning."

"Umm sir, please allow Quistis to go to the prison base." Xu plead.

"I understand Quistis is worried about Squall but it is best if she does not get anymore emotionally involved." He replied.

"Sir …I was wrong to question your judgment" she apologized and walked to Nadia asking for the phone. "May I?" Nadia handed her the phone. "Quistis?"

"Yes Xu I know"

"I'm sorry. I'll have Selphie keep in contact with you."

"That is enough… thank you."

* * *

They all moaned once outside the doors of the imprisonment. Finally they escaped but the mercenaries still approaching. The three moved forward and stopped to their exhaustion. Squall and Rinoa both had their arms on each other holding themselves up. Rinoa clutched around Squall's arm and sighed deeply. "I can't… hold up."

Squall glared at Seifer. "What! How should I know, that it was going to take effect like this!" Seifer defended but it was no time to act like this. Rinoa was slowly getting weaker to a finish which they did not know of. Squall released her on the ground. "Rest for now" he said.

Seifer volunteered the option of disposing the men that would dare come outside on the premises by simply searching for his victims. "Come over here you little shit!"

Men exited to the entrance of the secure unit and onward went Squall with Seifer charging from behind. He hogged the situation of removing the danger while Squall dealt with only one man. With that complete Seifer advanced toward Squall. "Your chest wound is pretty bad, anyone can take you out" he warned swinging his gunblade as if it was a threat.

"I can handle it." Squall lied closing his fist tightly together.

"Alright then" Seifer nodded. "You watch over Rinoa but hey word from the wise… I'd keep your distance from the princess. A knight that can't protect himself from who he is protecting is in a lot of trouble. A knight that can't protect himself can't protect another."

More fighters rushed out as it was almost time for sundown. Seifer headed into battle and Squall worked over single deadly slashes. Additional men, one by one, came as backup. From the distance, he walked to them, the very proud figure with a cigar in his mouth. "Ahh, I see it still isn't dark yet in these parts." He spoke to the far left of where they stood.

"Not yet, the fun just started" Seifer remarked after finishing several men.

General Caraway drew near his fallen militia. Many men have been taken out and yet there were more simply frightened to come forward. "Now what is this? I leave things in your hands and you betray me?"

"Change of heart, that's all."

"You don't say?"

Seifer turned to Squall. "You should move while you have the chance."

General Caraway looked at Rinoa on the floor and couldn't help but comment. "You lie there just like your mother…"

_…Mother? She didn't even defend herself. It was as if she was prepared to die. No sense of assail. Julia was a frail woman. I am not like her. _"…Mother?" Rinoa said looking down to the ground with tears in her eyes.

"How disgusting, there with her love's offspring…"

Squall felt apprehensive. It's time to let go, Squall thought. He turned his back on him and kneeled to the girl phased out. "Rinoa?" He called to her.

"Mother" Rinoa whispered to herself as she clutched her arms around her body._ Don't let that swine talk. I need to deal with him._

"You're so weak and fragile. You'll die so easily. Just like Juila."

Seifer ran to the general with a fist full of hate. "Shut the fu-"

"I HATE YOU!" Rinoa screamed. Wings sprouted out of her back as the area engulfed in flames from firaga suddenly cast. Squall backed away from the blaze between him and her but not far enough into more behind him. Seifer had protected himself well shielding off the fire. Caraway was far in distance for her to harm him.

She rose up and her wings stretched wide to its freedom. Rinoa's nature was not her own rather suited for the dimmed area in her heart. That darkness lingering had now conjured Demi indirectly at Caraway, cutting down everyone's health. Squall dropped his weapon. He already could not heal his deep wound and now had to deal with being near death. He slouched down and struggled not to collapse. Rinoa watched. She seemed blank and detached but cried tears that couldn't be seen from the dark eyes not her own.

"My daughter… you must have inherited my hostility. How many times is it now that you tried to kill me or harm another?"

"Quiet!" She roared clenching her fist, slowly marching towards Caraway.

"…Rinoa don't…" Squall started to beg.

"Julia is watching you. Aren't you shamed of what you become?" He taunted.

"Stop… Rinoa" Squall said.

Rinoa stopped her pace with more unseen tears. These tears left scars perhaps impossible to heal. She wanted to cry real tears instead of ones that pained her more so. Momentarily she tried to but all she accomplished was being able to speak up. "NO! It's not me!" She bawled covering her ears and closing her eyes.

Caraway continued. "Isn't there… a human soul?"

_What?_

With everything her father has mentioned and questioned she paused with uncertainty. Rinoa opened her formerly darkened eyes consumed by madness to her original beautiful dark brown eyes. Eyes that told truth seeing her world around her as it is. Rinoa was but herself. Not what others depicted as but how she saw herself in her mind. What does she see? What is Rinoa Heartilly to herself?

His tolerance, all patience had run low and he scolded the emotionally naked Rinoa. "Go! …Into Exile!"

Rinoa swooped like a bird to the green filled forest not far behind her. Everyone observed. Suddenly over the hill to their right came a mass of SeeDs Selphie leading the parties. The three men looked towards the clamor of men that split up. "Squall!" Selphie called running to him.

"Haha!" The General laughed. "I should have known better."

"Like I said, it's only begun" Seifer threatened.

The battles began. Men of both forces appeared. Seifer had to rid of Caraway and so they clashed as a blue light lit over Squall. He stood with less effort and the girl handed him potions. "Your condition will keep returning over time until we bring you to the infirmary. Use these till then." She spoke knowing what he had to do.

Squall glanced at the woodlands beside and thanked Selphie. "Yeah… I'm glad you're here. I'll contact you soon. Don't go over board here."

"Who's stopping me?" She giggled and Squall hurried along after Rinoa.

He rushed through the forest which grew more enticing the further he traveled. A place that felt fitting, the green comforting her inexperience in her situation. Rinoa had arrived at the shore of the continent towards the ledge of a very small cliff. She abruptly came to a stop her wings disappeared with the wind. She slowly sat and lied against a large boulder. Fright pained her head. Listening to the sounds of the waves she asked "Why did you leave me" She thought of her in the sky "…why didn't you fight him?" Her hands touched the earth and her body sunk down. Her tears sled down her face to her nose and dripped to the soil beneath her.

Squall became weary of traveling although he came along a feather and continued. He rushed alongside a pond. Lucid crisp water showing a foul ground dappled with crimson colored frogs and bright golden fish swimming along the rim. Soon appearing further were olive trees with lilac floral. He traveled towards the end where you can see the sky. It was lit with strange colors, a rainbow near nocturnal.

He saw her lying there ahead and came to her side, shaking her. She did not move. He checked her pulse. It was faint but there. "Rinoa! …speak to me" he said worried. Squall held her to him and called Selphie. "Urgent! Someone pickup" He spoke.

"**Found her? Over?"** Selphie had spoken.

"We need medical assistance. Get here." He commanded.

"**Roger. A.s.a.p."**

He threw his communicator down and kept Rinoa warm holding her to him. He cuddled her closely and felt her warmth dwindling away. His head slowly rose. Glancing around the area, his view came to the horizon lightened by the sun. His face tensed like his father would do. He held back tears prying threw his steel blue eyes. He trembled and shivered vibrations of such sorrow. Squall wanted not to think, not to cry, nor to hear the voiceless whisper in the air. He just wanted to watch this sunset. No matter agonizing or how it burned, his head hot being ready to give out. He wanted to focus on the sun's light, that which was constant. Love like the sun. In times hiding behind a cold exterior but a burning passion that never dies down and is ready to come out. She was his sun which made this cold person shine bright like the moon because without the sun there would be no shine.

Rinoa's eyes shut saw her own open in her mind. A dream, her world where lies truth so fragile, that it is able to change by the way you accept it. Here she walks past her present state with Squall and looks at herself clothed in blue and black, her typical clothes when she was younger. She notices a female. There near the entrance of the woodlands dressed in dark clothes with a mask. "Erase from my world" She asked her plainly as if it was a statement, a command.

"Without me you'd be incomplete. I am sorts' colors; your darkness, a piece of the whole."

"You are not Rinoa"

"What makes you think you are?"

"Such a tragic life you've lived… what are you searching for?"

"Vengeance is all"

"Lies" She responded and looked at the Rinoa in Squall's lap. "Stop using her and return from where you came from."

"Ahahahaha" The woman laughed "I will cease to exist when I am pleased."

The female walked into the mysterious woodland forest. Rinoa turned around to observe more in this world. A rainbow and at the end of the rainbow, where the sun has gone down and the colors come together… The dew drops of nature fall into the concrete jungle surrounded by dark ignorance… "Life struggling to rise up, take meaning of our existence, find the beauty within our souls… the colors of the rainbow."


End file.
